Fate can be a cruel Mistress
by TukiMiyu26
Summary: They can't resist each other, but they know they can't be with each other. They've known since the beginning. She's not going to be there for long...and the two know that. Can he convince her to stay? Sanji/OC Rating may change.
1. Confusions

Unfortunately I don't own One Piece. *sadness*

CHAPTER ONE

MITSU'S POV

"Miiiiitsu!!!"

I looked toward the galley, seeing the "Love Cook" as we all liked to call him, beckoning me in. He had hearts in his eyes, as usual, and I sighed, wondering what he was up to now. "Yes, Sanji?"

"So, darling, when would you like to have a romantic dinner together?" He asked, making me laugh. "I could get everyone so drunk it would only be us..."

"You're crazy, Sanji." I laughed harder at the blonde's antics. He was always trying to win either Nami or me...or any other beautiful woman's heart, for that matter.

"Come on, Mitsu. You know you want to..." He smiled devilishly. "So?"

"No, as good as the offer sounds, I'll have to pass," I said. "I don't think so."

He pouted for a moment. "You'll come around," he said, mostly to himself.

I laughed again. The handsome hopeful was always getting his heart broken.

"Is that all you wanted her for?"

I looked toward the all-too-familiar voice of my sister, Sachi. "Kyah! Sachi," I squealed, running to her. I hugged her, making her roll her eyes. "You rescued me from the Love Cook!"

"And that's...good," she said, looking at me strangely. "I thought you li-"

"Hush up!!!" I said. "It's not true!! Did Luffy tell you?"

"Who do you like?" Sanji asked. There was no mistaking the hope in his voice.

"Noooooobody," I said, not meeting his eyes...well, eye. His blonde hair was covering his left eye, adding to his good looks.

"Oh, Mitsu! What I wouldn't give to have you on my arm!" He exclaimed, taking my hand. He kissed it gently, looking up. "What I wouldn't give to have you in my b—"

"That's enough!" Both Sachi and I whacked Sanji on the back of the head, knocking him to the floor. "Pervert!"

"It's fate, darling, love, baby... Mitsu!!!" He wailed my name as I walked out of the galley with Sachi.

Sachi and I are twins, only hours apart, and we've always had a very close relationship with one another. We both love to laugh and have a good time, but are also serious when we need to be. We're both sensitive deep down, but we hate for people to see us cry. There's only one person on our ship that's seen me cry besides Sachi, and that's our captain, Monkey D. Luffy. He was only a couple years older than Sachi and I, but acted like he was 4.

"So, you don't like ol' Dartboard," Sachi said thoughtfully.

I sat on Luffy's normal perch, the ram's head on the front of the ship. I shrugged. "Well, it's not like I don't _like_ him...but it's weird. I want no relationship with him."

"Well, why not?" Sachi said. "I mean, it'd be great if you left him alone, but if you want to go out with him, do it."

"Nah. He's too much of a playboy. He likes to flirt too much. How will I know if he's sincere to me or not?" I said. I looked at my sister, who was lounging lazily against the side of the ship. She was the only one that saw the side of me that was insecure, naive...

"Well, the only way to find out if he really is sincere to you is to go out with him," she said, then shook her head. "But, only God knows why you're interested in someone like him."

I smiled. "Ah, I don't know, sis," I said. "But I kind of am. Besides, aren't you interested in—"

I was interrupted by a certain green-haired swordsman. "What are you girls doing?"

"Talking, you grassy bastard," Sachi snapped. "What's it to you?"

"A little Feisty, are we?" he asked, having a smirk on his face. "I was asking a question, Sachi. No need to worry."

I looked at him strangely. "Oh, Zoro?"

"Yeah, Mitsu?"  
I thought for a moment. "I forgot."

Sachi laughed, sitting beside me now, her eyes sparkling. "Nice one, Itsy."

I made a face. "Don't call me that."

Zoro laughed. "Itsy, huh?"

"No," Sachi snapped. "That's something only I can call her. So go away, bastard."

I saw the anger in his black eyes. "You bitch," he growled. "I'm tired of you talking down to me."

She smirked. "Leave me be," she said, throwing her arm around my shoulders. "And Mitsy, too."

I sighed, hopping down. "I'm sick of your petty bickering. Come talk to me when you get over it," I said.

Sanji peeked out of the galley. "You may want to keep an eye on them..."

I walked to where he was. "No, they should be old enough by now to know when to stop. They're acting like they're 4 years old."

"Yeah, I guess," Sanji said. He looked sad now, which wasn't normal for him. "At least she'll talk to him."

I gave him a funny look. "What do you mean, Love Cook?"

He gave me a half-hearted smile at the nickname. "Even though they hate each other, she'll talk to him. Even using the harsh words and taking punches at him, she pays him a little attention."

"You aren't making any sense," I said to him.

"Even the smallest insult to make him angry..." he sighed.

"Sanji, do you like my sister?" I asked him as the realization hit me.

He gave a small chuckle. "No, I don't. I was talking about Nami." His voice got quieter as he lit a cigarette.

"Don't worry about Nami," I said softly. "If she doesn't want you, that's her loss, Sanji."

He didn't reply, just took a long drag from his cigarette. He closed his eyes, letting the smoke out slowly.

I cleared my throat. "Do you want to go somewhere we can talk?"

When we were in my cabin, I closed the door, sitting down on my bed. He sat beside me, cigarette in hand. "I don't understand, Mitsu."

"What's that?" I inquired.

"I do all I can for her and she treats it like it's expected," he said. "Which, I don't mind too much…but…"

"Look, she doesn't realize what a good thing she's got right now. She'll figure it out sooner or later." I put a hand on his and squeezed, as if I was reassuring him of something. "It's going to be okay," I promised. "Even if she doesn't want you, I'm here."

He took a puff from his cigarette. "Mitsu, don't lie to me," He said. His voice sounded defeated. "Please. I can't take anymore."

I turned to him. "Sanji, look at me."

He didn't do as I asked as fast as I would have liked, so I hooked my fingers around his chin, turning his head. "Mitsu…"

I gently kissed his lips…

"You did WHAT?!" Sachi shrieked after I told her. "You kissed that…that…"

"Yes, I know. I didn't think it over, Sachi, and I'm sorry," I said irritably. She was making way too big a deal about this. "Like I said, I wasn't thinking."

"Yes, I know," she said shortly. "But what I can't figure out is why you would…ugh, never mind." She threw her hands up. "Whatever makes you happy."

"Sis… Do you like Zoro? Be honest with me…" I said, in hopes that she'd drop the subject of my kissing Sanji. She did. I sighed in relief.

"There's no way. I can't stand him. What possessed you to ask such a question, Mitsu?" she chuckled a bit nervously. "Zoro's nothing but an insensitive, unfeeling, cold-hearted pig that has nothing better to do than toy with me!" Each word she said came out with more intensity and more force than the last. "He thinks it's funny to screw around with my feelings…"

"S-Sachi, are you alright? You aren't acting normal…" I said. I had only been teasing…

She looked at me. "Yeah, I'm just frustrated. Stupid man."

"So you do like him," I said in wonder. "Hmm…wonder what color hair your kids will have…"

She pushed me playfully. "That's not even funny, Mitsu."

"Yep, I know, but I think you will make a good couple," I said, a wide smile on my face.

"Please, don't say that…I'll have to hurt you…"

I laughed. "Fine. So what are you going to do about him, hmm?"

"Same thing I want you to do about Lover boy—nothing," she replied. "How stupid is that going to look? After 2 years of hating each other, insulting each other, fighting, I can't tell him I _like_ him, Mitsu."

"Yeah, you can," I said.

"It's not quite that simple," she said. "I can't go up to somebody I loathe and tell him, 'Oh, I've just decided I like you'!"

I laughed. "I guess you're right. I'm like you…"

"Exactly, and that's why you can't tell Dartboard you like him."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, now defeated. "I hate boy troubles."

Sachi stretched out on her bed, grinning widely now. "And that's why I choose not to get involved with grass-head out there." She shrugged. "I'd rather not deal with the headache."

I grinned at her. "Sure…if that's what you want me to believe, sis, then I will…for now."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" I giggled, while she sat up. "Oh, Mitsu… What was that supposed to mean?!"

"Don't worry, Sachi…You'll know later."

"Tell me now!"

"Sachi, chill out. I'm just joking," I said to my sister, who was growing genuinely angry. "I know that you and Zoro will never be together. I know that you both have too much pride to admit you were wrong. I know that you two will never get along more than 5 minutes. I already know that stuff. I just wish…I wish that you'd give up the act."

"Look, Mitsu, you don't want Sanji because he has a different crush every day. You don't like the fact that he's a good-looking flirt that can barely keep it in his pants. I don't want Zoro because he's an ass. He's too stubborn to admit anything. He'll think I'm screwing with him, if I tell him I like him. So, I'll go find somebody I can get along with, same as you."

"But if you truly like him, it won't be that easy, and you know it," I said quietly. "So…don't give up on him yet, Sachi…There may be hope for you two after all."

She snorted. "I doubt it."

"Nami," I started, startling the red-headed navigator from her mapmaking. "Sorry to bother you, but…"

"But what?" She asked. "This is surprising. You hardly ever come in here, Mitsu."

"Yeah, well, Sanji asked me to deliver you a letter. I don't know what it says," I said, handing the sealed envelope to my crewmate and friend.

"Oh, I should have figured," she said. "You don't really talk to me anymore."

"Yeah…sorry. It's just that you're so busy making maps and navigating. And as for me…I'm trying to keep Sanji away and Sachi and Zoro off each other…"

She looked down. She seemed to be unsure of her next moves, what to say next. "Umm, Mitsu, can you help me?"

"Umm, sure, Nami, what do you need?" I said. I was surprised, since Nami never acted so unsure of herself.

"I need to talk to Luffy…about…" She paused.

"What about?"  
"Well, I… kind of like him. A little," She said slowly. "I always have. I've just been too nervous to say anything. Can you talk to him for me?"

"If you want me to, I guess I can. It can't be too hard," I told her. "I can't make any promises." I chuckled, thinking about Luffy.

A shout from Sachi interrupted us. "Look now!" A heavy object crashed. "You damn lunatic bastard, you almost hit me with the damn thing!"

"That's the point, _sweetheart_," Zoro spat at her. I rolled my eyes, shooting an apologetic look at Nami. I rushed out to the deck, watching the two circle each other like a couple of lions.

Sachi had her favorite wrench in her hand, ready to clean Zoro's clock if the need arose. Zoro had one of his swords out, ready to deflect her blows. "So you're trying to kill me now? You're such a gentleman, Zoro, you know that?" she gushed sarcastically.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sachi," He growled. "It doesn't work on me."

"Yeah, well you don't have much going for you either, grass-head, so you can't say much," she shot back without missing a beat.

"Chill out, you two. Can't you go 10 minutes without trying to kill each other?" I said wearily. "It gets old after a while."

"Butt out, Mitsu. This is our fight," Zoro said, looking at me.

Sachi took advantage of this distraction and swung at him, the wrench glinting in the bright sunlight…and missed by just centimeters. Zoro swung as well, but his was more of a reflex than anything. I saw nothing but her cry out and fall to her knees. Her side bled slowly, covering the overalls she wore. "Damn…bastard. You swing fast…"

She fell on her back, a puddle of blood forming around her.


	2. Who's a Matchmaker?

I don't own OP...sadly.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

MITSU'S POV

"So she has 15 stitches?" I asked our doctor, Chopper.

"Yeah, he got her pretty hard. She'll be fine, though. She's already grumpy and back to her normal self," he answered, his tone making me laugh.

"Well, that's good." I said. "Though it is strange…"I trailed off.

"What?"

"Oh, Zoro feels guilty. Can you believe it?" I said, grinning at the little reindeer.

"Well he didn't mean to… but it's hard to believe since they hate each other," he replied.

"Yeah, I better go tell him that she's okay…"I smiled devilishly. "He'll be happy about that."

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Mitsu, "Chopper warned.

I laughed on my way out. "It's not like anything's going to happen!"

Zoro saw me heading toward the deck and slammed me into the wall of the cabin. "How is she?"

I pushed him back. "She's fine. Chill out, man," I said, slightly irritated. "If you ever push me like that again, I'll hit you so hard you'll talk in a squeaky voice for a week."

He snorted. "Okay, so I didn't have to shove you like that."

"No, you didn't," I agreed.

He glared at me. "Don't expect me to apologize, Mitsu."

"I don't."

"She's really okay?" he asked, going back to the subject of my sister.

I giggled to myself. "Zoro, she's going to be fine. She's got 15 stitches, and a major anger problem, but otherwise back to normal. At least, that's what Chopper told me." I shrugged. "Whatever the case may be, she's going to be fine, if I know my sister."

He breathed a sigh of relief. I felt his forehead with one hand, checking for a fever. "Get off me," he snapped, swatting at my hand.

"Well, you're not sick…What's the sudden concern for Sachi?" I wanted to know. "You hate her? So what's the deal?"

"Why should I tell you?" he said gruffly.

"Because I'll know sooner or later… You'll give yourself away eventually, Zoro, so you're better off telling me now!" I smiled brilliantly at him. "Spit it out. You know you want to."

He huffed, looking away, arms crossed over his chest. I waited patiently for his answer, knowing it would come out sooner or later. "Fine," he said, pouting. "I care. Are you happy now?"

"Not really," I said cheerfully. "Why do you care?"

"What is this, 20 questions?" he demanded. He turned his back on me. "Meh. I just don't want this on my conscience. I'm going to check on her."

"Have fun, Zoro, hon! Don't kill her!" I called after him, waving cheerfully.

He flipped me off, making me laugh. I walked to the galley, sneaking up behind Sanji. I put my hands over his eyes. "Guess who?"

He turned, holding me in his arms. "Well, look who finally showed up to eat something." He wasn't normally too silly around me…unlike Nami. I was thankful…He was really annoying when he was sucking up.

"Yes. I'm hungry. Feed me!" I commanded playfully. "And fix something for Sachi, too, even though I don't know whether she's hungry or not."

"She needs to eat," He said. "By the way, how is she?"

"Chopper said that she has 15 stitches, but she's normal otherwise," I replied. "Though I'm not really sure. I haven't seen her since Chopper sewed her up."

"I would have thought you'd be with her," he said in surprise, getting stuff ready to cook.

"Yeah, I figured I'd stay out while Chopper sewed on her. I know how she gets around needles and me being nervous wouldn't help her a bit," I said, leaning against the counter as Sanji worked around me. "You get that, right?"

"Yeah," he said. He paused. "What does Sachi like to eat?"

"Pretty much anything. She's like a human vacuum," I laughed.

"Good, so I'll fix her…"He went on, naming a French dish, La Blanche-something-or-other—I wasn't sure. Either way, it was light and fluffy and looked really, really delicious. My mouth watered at the sight of it when he finally finished with the small cake.

"That looks yummy!"I gushed, delighted with it, even though it wasn't meant for me.

"Yes, it does," he agreed, pleased by my compliment. "Do you want me to deliver it or do you want to do it yourself?"

"I'll do it. Nothing against you, of course, I just want to see how she's doing," I told him, picking up the white cake, so very tempted to take a bite. "So I'll see you later."

"Mitsu…"Sanji said as I headed toward the door.

"Eh?" I asked, the sound being more of a squeak than a question.

"Ah, about that kiss earlier…"

I blushed. "Gotta go! Sorry! See you later, Sanji!"

"This is for me?" Sachi asked excitedly when I set the small piece of heaven in front of her. "Sanji cooked it for me?"

"We figured you were hungry, so…" I trailed off, laughing as she practically inhaled it. "Wow, I guess you were hungry."

She wiped her face of all the crumbs and icing, grinning. "Yeah, tell him to make some more. That was really good."

I giggled. "Sure. I'm sure he'll be happy to know that you like it so much."

"Yeah, I know!" she said, seeming surprised at herself. "Usually he doesn't make things like this."

I laughed again as Zoro came in and her smile shattered to the floor. "You—"she started before I slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Well, hello, Zoro, nice to see you again," I said quickly, ignoring the fact that she was _licking_ my hand. "Sachi's just feeling better." I chuckled nervously.

"Good. I need to talk to her if she's sane," he said, plopping into a chair across from her.

"Yeah, I need to talk to Sanji, so I guess I'll see you later!" I said, wiping Sachi's spit into her hair and hightailing it out of there. I heard her shouts all the way to the galley and couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. Sanji only looked at me.

"Back so soon?"

I nodded, catching my breath. "Yeah, Sachi inhaled it. She really likes it. She wanted me to tell you to give you her regards and she wants more."

He grinned. "I like it when a lady likes my food so much she wants more."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You have too much of the big-head."

"Ah, but you love it," he said, grinning wider. "So, she wants more."

"Shut up and cook!" I said, laughing.

"Sing me a song, Mitsu," He said seriously. "I like it when you sing."

I grew nervous. I was never nervous when I sang for people, but today was different. Maybe it was because I kind of liked him…or maybe it was because I had kissed him. Whatever it was, my heart was pounding and my palms were sweaty. "Uh, okay, what do you want to hear?"

"Anything. Just…I want music," he said, looking at me, a gentle expression on his face. "You haven't sung a song for me lately. I miss it."

"Well, okay…" I gulped. "Hold on, it's hard for me to sing when somebody puts me on the spot like that…"

"Maybe I can inspire you…"

"It's about time you left, you grassy-headed…Mitsu!" Sachi said in surprise as I walked in on said repairwoman and swordsman. They were furious at each other (as usual) but they weren't as intense as they normally were. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Bringing you more food, like you asked," I said, grinning at her obvious shock. "Why are you so surprised, sis? Did you forget?"

She laughed nervously. "Heh, of course not, silly…"

Something wasn't right. "Sachi, you're not acting like you…"

"I'm not? Oh, well, today hasn't really been normal, either…"She pointed out. "Just like…I'm not really mad at Zoro right now."

Something definitely wasn't right. She wasn't mad at Zoro? She was cheerful and let down her guard in front of him? Where was my sister? "Well, then," I stammered, handing her the 2nd Blanche de Noelle… or whatever it was called.

She started eating the cake and Zoro laughed at her when she missed her mouth and dropped it on her leg. She threw the piece at him, making me laugh when I heard the soft splat confirming that she hit her target.

"Damn you…"he hissed, wiping the cake off his forehead.

I could barely contain my laughter, even with Zoro as angry as he was. "Zoro…temper…" I warned. The effect of my warning, however, was ruined by the giggles that escaped afterward.

"Shut the hell up," he replied calmly. "I can handle this myself. Damn sticky cake."

"It's good, Zoro. Want some?" she asked pleasantly, which really wasn't too good of a sign. "I'm full. You can have the rest."

"Alright…"he said, sitting beside her.

She promptly shoved the remaining 8th of the cake in his face. I laughed harder than I ever had before. He was speechless, face covered in white icing.

"Been playing in marshmallows lately, crappy swordsman?" Sanji asked, peeking in the door. He looked at me. "You owe me a song, honey."

"But, but…" I sputtered. "I don't feel like singing! I'm laughing too hard! "

Sachi was laughing too, until Zoro put his face in her hair. She smacked at him, and when that didn't work, conked him in the head with her beloved wrench. It had been hiding under her pillow the entire time. A "ting" sounded, followed by the "thunk" of Zoro's body hitting the floor.

I couldn't stop laughing. It was the funniest scene I'd ever witnessed. Sanji stared at me strangely, like I'd gone crazy. "Are you okay, Mitsu?" he asked, cracking a smile at me. "You're acting kinda funny."

I finally caught my breath. "I'm fine." I sighed. "I'm fine."

"What do you need, Sanji?" Sachi asked the Love Cook.

"Mitsu," he replied.

"Yeah, I kind of figured," She said. "By the way, that stuff you made was really good."

He flashed her a wide grin. "Glad ya liked it."

"Stop, Sachi. It'll go to his head," I said, making a face at Sanji. He shrugged, laughing at me. "Go away, Sanji. I'm visiting my sister."

"I need to talk to you," he whined. He took my hands. "Seriously, Mitsu. I need to talk."

"You just said that," I said.

"I was just saying it again, so you'll know how urgent this is," he said.

"Must be pretty urgent," Zoro groaned from the floor, a huge knot on his head. I erupted into laughter again, gaining a glare from the groggy swordsman. "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"Hey, now, Mr. I-got-clobbered-by-a-girl, you shouldn't be awake," Sachi snapped.

"Kiss my ass," he growled back to her.

"Maybe I don't want to," She retorted. "But thanks for the offer." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, making me giggle even more.

"You guys…" I managed to choke out. "You guys are killing me!"

"Laughter's the best medicine!" Sachi said, mimicking Chopper. "It's not making me any happier. Geez."

"Yeah, me either. Mitsu's the only one who's really laughing," Zoro agreed.

I stopped laughing. "Dude. You just agreed with her. AGREED. Are you sick?" My eyes were wide, staring at the obviously crazy swordsman. "You're being scary, Zoro."

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this, Mitsu?" he said, giving me a funny look.

"You two don't ever agree!" I burst out. "You treat her like you treat Sanji!"

"Shut up, Mitsu," Sachi groaned. "Just because we hate each other doesn't mean he can't agree with me."

I laughed. "Yeah, but… I don't know."

"Exactly," Zoro and Sachi said in unison, then glared at each other. Zoro grunted, sitting on the floor beside her bed.

"What's going on with you two?" I asked. "One day you hate each other and now you've started to supposedly care." I looked at Zoro. "And _you,_ you're visiting her, freaking out about whether she's okay or not."

"I felt bad, alright?" he snapped, rubbing the gigantic knot on his head. "Dammit, Sachi, that really hurt.

"It's gonna hurt when I have to get up to wash this icing out of my hair," She shot back.

Sanji grabbed me around the waist, hugging me close. It surprised me. "Come on, Mitsu," he said softly. "I need to talk to you."

I looked up at him. "Sanji…"

He put his forehead to mine. "Mitsu…"

"Ugh, get away!" Sachi said in disgust, taking my attention off Sanji. "Get a room or something, geez."

I pushed the blonde away. "I'd rather bug you and Zoro."

About that time, Sanji grabbed my arm and halfway dragged me out of the room. Sachi laughed. "Come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"Sooo, you want me to help you get Luffy and Nami together?" I said in confusion. "Why couldn't you say this in Sachi's room?"

"I didn't want the shitfaced drunk to know," Sanji replied. "Pardon my French."

I waved it off. "Who came to you about that?"

"She did, surprisingly," he replied. "The funny thing is…it doesn't bother me like I thought it would." He looked me in the eye, a cigarette hanging from his lips. "I want her to be happy…and Luffy too."

"Yeah, me too. Who knows how long she's been harboring that crush?" I said, staring up into the now-midnight sky.

We were standing on the deck, talking. I sat on the side of the ship, letting the wind blow through my long, hot-pink hair. I waved away the smoke that drifted my way, looking toward Sachi's cabin. Zoro hadn't come out yet, which was surprising with all the squabbling I heard. Sanji threw his finished cigarette over the side of the ship and immediately lit up another one before speaking again. "Mitsu…I don't love her."

"Why are you telling me this?" I wondered aloud and immediately regretted my words. "I mean, I care and everything…I'm just curious."

"I don't know. Because you listen, I guess," he said, blowing smoke out of his lungs. "Do you know how to get them together?"

"Like both of us play matchmaker?"  
"Something like that," he said.

"Then I say let's do it!"

"So basically, you two are on a path of destruction to make our captain and our navigator have a happily ever after?" Sachi asked when I told her about it after a good night's sleep.

I nodded. "That sounds about right, yeah."

"Cool." She said, shrugging. "I'm in."

"Awesome, but you can't really move…"I said.

"Hey, honey, I'm not completely helpless. I can walk," she said with a funny look at me. She smirked. "As long as I'm sneaking around and not doing anything too stressful for these God-awful stitches." She leaned back, closing her eyes, her arms behind her head. "So therefore, I'm in."

"Awesome. So…who else do we need?" I asked her.

"Well, Usopp and Chopper are close to Luffy, and subtlety is not their forte…and Zoro probably really doesn't care. So basically it'll be me, you and Sanji," she replied, winking at me. "That's all we'll need, right?"

"Yeah, why not?" I said. "At least we have help. How hard can it be?"


	3. This is Harder than It Looks

CHAPTER 3

MITSU'S POV

…One Week Later…

Sanji and I traded weary glances. Luffy wouldn't take the hints that we were dropping, so we had to give up on the subtle stuff. Sachi was the first one of us to get frustrated with our naïve captain, and nearly clobbered him with her wrench. The only things that held her back was her stitches and me. Sanji was the one to drop more blunt hints, such as asking Luffy to go get things for Nami and sitting them next to each other at the dinner table. I was the last and tried my hardest to get Luffy to tell me what he felt for our lovely red-headed navigator, but to no avail.

I collapsed in a chair I'd placed in the galley, exhausted from our work. "Sanji, I don't get it! Usually he's not this dense… EVER! I think he's doing it on purpose," I said, looking at the cook, who was smoking a cigarette.

"It wouldn't surprise me," he told me coolly, blowing out the smoke from the corner of his mouth. "With the way he is."

"Yeah, he's clever…" I agreed slowly. "But I don't know…"

"Why don't we just get a good night's rest and try again tomorrow?" He suggested, putting out his cigarette.

"We say this every night. And the next day is always the same thing," I sighed. "I mean, we drop hints and Luffy laughs like an idiot, eats and leaves. End of story. It seems that the harder we try, the more stupid Luffy gets. It's like a pattern."

"I'm glad you said that," Sanji smiled brilliantly.

I looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"It's time to break that pattern."

After a good night's rest, and lots of thinking time, I wondered what Sanji's plan was. I figured it would have something to do with food (like everything else), and smiled. Luffy was obsessed with Sanji's cooking and would go crazy. Maybe he'd even try to steal something from the pantry… I sighed. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all. It would result the way it always did—Luffy with a knot on his head and an angry Sanji. I smiled slightly at the thought, then grimaced. Both Sanji and Luffy would complain to me afterwards. I felt like I had clouds of gloom over my head.

"Hey, what's the matter, Mitsu?" asked a familiar voice, nearly making me jump out of my seat.

"Lu-Luffy! What are you doing here?! How did you get in my room?!" I demanded, jumping up.

He simply stared at me. "The door was open."

"Oh," I chucked to myself. "Heh, right."

"So…what's the matter?"

"Nooothing," I said, looking away from him.

"I think I know what you and Sanji are doing," he told me, flopping down on my bed and pulling me down beside him. "But I'm not sure."

"About what?" I wanted to know. I glanced at him. So he had caught on after all…

"You two should really tell everyone else about your relationship, Mitsu. It isn't healthy, keeping it a secret like that."

I stopped functioning completely. Luffy thought that _we_… I slowly grew angrier and angrier, until I snapped. "LUFFY, YOU ARE SO DENSE! YOU'RE A TOTAL AND COMPLETE _IDIOT_!"

"Why are you yelling at me, Mitsu?" he asked innocently. Of course he'd have no idea why I was so angry at him.

"Do you pay attention to _anything_? It's _not_ Sanji and I that aren't healthy. We aren't even in a relationship!" I said, getting to the point. "Do you like Nami?"

"I…I guess. She's pretty…and funny," he answered hesitantly, trying to avoid my angry glare. He found a piece of string on my bedcovers and began to play with that. "Why do you ask?"

"How much do you like her, Captain?" Sanji asked, walking into the room. Luffy looked up with relief at the handsome cook. "Just wondering."

Luffy blushed, this being the first time I'd ever seen him do so. "Well…I kinda like her…a whole lot…"

"Tell her, Luffy," I said, my voice getting gentler as my anger evaporated. "It'll make her happy." I scratched the back of my head sheepishly, a little embarrassed. "I mean, it should."

"But I'm nervous!" he said, face a dark red. I thought it was really cute. "Can…Can you tell her for me?"

"I can, since I needed to talk to her anyway," said Sanji. "Come with me, Mitsu?"

I shrugged. "Why not?"

The next few days were pretty light and drama-free, thank goodness. Luffy and Nami were spending a lot of time together and Zoro was pretty much leaving Sachi alone. Sanji and I spent a lot of time together talking in the galley and I noticed that he cut down on his smoking. He'd merely grinned and lit one when I mentioned something about it, though.

Today, unfortunately for Sachi and me, was different. It was our 20th birthday, and everyone on the _entire_ ship knew… and teased us.

"Hey, you miss being 19 yet?" Zoro asked, carrying a small package to Sachi's room.

"Nah, not yet. I will when I get your age," I teased the 23-year-old.

He made a face at me. "Bite me."

"Soo, what's in the package?" I changed the subject, smiling at him sweetly.

"Something I made up for Sachi," he said, an evil glint in his eye that I didn't like. "Don't worry, it's not too bad…I won't kill or injure her."

"Ookay… as long as she comes out fine…" I said.

"Oh, she'll be fine… believe me. Maybe…" he let the sentence trail off. His smile grew wider and creepier with each passing second.

I shuddered at his expression. "Eww."

We entered Sachi's room side by side, Zoro's creepy grin widening even more. It looked as if it got any wider, it would fall off his face. I shuddered again. "That look on your face is disgusting."

"Yeah, seriously," Sachi agreed. "You look like the Grinch."

"Well, maybe I'll keep this," he said, lifting the lid off the small box.

It was one of the little cakes that Sanji had made her… and the food she was currently obsessed with. "No!" She yelled out. "I mean, no, it's okay. You didn't look that bad."

"Oh, so you want this cake?" Zoro teased, dipping a finger in the icing, licking it off slowly. "It's delicious…" He smiled again at poor Sachi.

"Did you come here to tease me?" she asked, trying to sound tough, but I could hear the helplessness in her voice.

"You must want it bad," he said, his voice lowering.

"Stop that," she said weakly. "Leave me alone."

"Happy birthday…darling," he said, handing her the cake and hightailing it out of there. I stared after him strangely, wondering why he didn't stay longer.

"Yum…"Sachi said to herself, a dreamy look on her face…

…right before the cake blew up.

It took 4 hours to clean all the sticky cake and icing out of her hair, clothes, and bedcovers and pretty much anything that was in close vicinity of the blasted thing. My face and hair and face were covered in icing, but not nearly as bad as Sachi's.

She paced the room angrily. "I'm going to kill him. F*n murder the grassy-head bastard. Who cares if he's hot as hell? I'm going to kill him," she muttered to herself. I laughed slightly, nodding.

"Yep, he's gone way too far this time," I said.

"Way, way too far," she agreed.

I stretched out on the bed, my arms behind my head. "Y'know, Sachi, I think he kind of likes you."

"What…Did…You…Just…Say?" she asked slowly, glaring daggers at me.

I wasn't impressed. "I think he likes you. He doesn't know how to treat a woman, that's plain to see. He's probably never had a real girlfriend in his life," I said, smiling. "He's just like a little kid."

"Yeah, he likes me, so he tries to kill me," she said sarcastically. "That's soo sweet, let me tell you."

I laughed at her sarcasm, knowing that she was calming down. "Well, it's better than him chasing you like Sanji does Nami and me," I said, beginning to hum to myself. "Don't you think?"

She snorted. "Please. I'd rather the bastard be gone. But, I can't get my way. Damn it."

"He's not that bad…" I said slowly. "I like him."

"Good!" She exclaimed. "You can have that beast! I sure as h—" She suddenly broke off when the subject of our conversation stepped in the room. "What the hell are you doing here, you bastard!"

"You think I'm hot?" he said, grinning. He flopped down on the bed beside me. He laid beside me, grinning. "Hey, Mitsu…She thinks I'm hot."

I whacked him in the chest. He grunted, but said nothing. "Zoro, you should be ashamed of yourself, eavesdropping like that."

He smiled wickedly at me. "But, Mitsu…I want to hear all the wonderful things you two say about me." He grabbed me and pulled me to him. "I don't know how to treat a woman?" He kissed the breath out of me. I smacked him playfully before the raging bull that was once my sister jumped on top of him. I rolled out of the way fairly quickly.

I watched in wonder as he pinned Sachi to him in one swift movement. He smiled at her, a large hand tangled in her violet-colored hair. She snarled at him, struggling to get loose. "Let me go, bastard!"

He shook his head. "No. I've got you right where I want you. And damn… I want you bad."

At this point, I decided it was high time to leave, so I ran out and into the galley. I burst through the door, a big smile on my face. "Sanji!" I sang. "I've got something to tell you!"

He turned around, laughing at my good mood. "Yeah, Luffy and Nami are together. I know," He said.

"Nope!" I said brightly. "It's two people that—"

Sanji cut me off. "You mean Zoro and…"

"Yes!" I squealed.

He laughed. "About damn time."

I smiled at him. "So now we just have to keep tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum together. And Nami and Luffy, too."

He chuckled. "Yeah I wonder how that'll work out for you," he said, lighting up a cigarette.

"For me?" I scoffed. "No, no, no, honey. You're helping me."

"Really?" He looked at me coolly. "When did we decide this?"

"Well, fine, don't help me then," I pouted.

He groaned. "Don't do that, Mitsu…" He looked at me like he was in pain. "You're so cute when you pout."

"I was counting on that," I giggled devilishly. "So are you in?"

"Well, I have conditions, babe."

"What conditions?" I said smartly. I put my hands on my hips. "There must be no conditions."

"Why not? You want me to help you for free, Mitsu?" He teased. "I won't work unless you do a little something for me…"

"Get away, you pervert!" I laughed as he got closer to me.

He grinned evilly. "Well I guess you don't want my help."

"You're being a jerk," I grumbled, frowning. "I guess I'll do it myself. I don't need your help."

He laughed at me, grabbing my arm before I left the room. "Are you mad at me?"

"Let go of me, asshole," I snapped, turning to glare at the blonde. "I don't want your help, anyways."

I saw the flame in his eyes. "I was only messing with you. You're taking this way too seriously, love."

"You went too far. It's only funny for a minute or two."

He let go of me as if I had burned him. "Fine. Go. Get the— Just get out of my kitchen."

"Gladly," I said, kicking over my chair and breaking an expensive bottle of wine on my way out.

"_Sanji_ made you mad? The loveable cook that helped you out with Nami and Luffy?" Sachi asked in surprise.

"Yeah, what other Sanji is there?" I said, still fuming. "Stupid boy."

"What made you mad?"

"Nothing. It doesn't even matter now. He makes me so mad."

She laughed. "Wow. This really is a shocker. I can't believe that you're actually mad at Sanji. He's your best friend, Mitsu.," she told me, grinning in spite of herself. "Besides, you have a thing for him, don't you?"

"No, of course not," I said quickly, looking away. "That's long gone."

"Liar," she shot back. "I can see it in your eyes. You still like him."

"Not at the moment, know-it-all," I snapped. "He grinds my nerves and you know it."

"Wow. You've done a total 180," Sachi said, laughing. "Nice, sis."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "Kind of like you and a certain swordsman?"

"Absolutely not, Mitsu," She said, whacking me. "That's not a very good example."

"Well I thought it was," I said grinning at her.

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Yeah, you would think that was a good example. Bitch."

"Ouch, that's painful, Sachi," I said, playfully tearful. "Besides, you're the bigger one."

"Well, people give me a good reason to be. It's not like I want to," she said, shrugging to herself. She smirked. "You should know that, being my sister and all."

"Yeah, whatever," I said, waving her off. I stood. "I'll catch you later, okay?"

"Yeah, later," she said.

I walked out, feeling slightly guilty.


	4. Who's in Love?

I don't own One Piece, even though I wish I did. Especially Sanji and his pretty self. But anyways.

Okay now that I got that out of the way... :D I'm finally back after...y'know, forever. Ha. I wanted to apologize to all those who added me to Story Alert for taking so freaking long. I am a big procrastinator, and I think I have ADD, sooo...I hardly finish what I start. BUT! Don't hate me just yet, cause I will finish this! It's all in a notebook, so all I have to do is type it. Annnnd also-much thanks to those who left the reviews, you're the ones who made me *finally* pick this back up again. I love ya. Okay, I know that you want me to stop rambling so you can read. Have fun with that :D

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Sachi's POV

I sighed, watching Mitsu fret from my room. It was getting dark outside, but she still paced as if it were daylight. She tugged at her hair and I could definitely tell she was hurting. I could always tell when she was upset.

So…being away from her precious cook was causing her pain…

For one week, she'd paced for hours, acting as if nothing happened when the crew was around. She'd stare off blankly when I asked her about it, if she was feeling okay and so on, then smile and say that she was fine, just tired. She didn't look fine, I thought numerous times as I watched her walk away all those times. I wished she'd tell me but I wasn't going to pry. I sighed to myself. She'd tell me when she was ready, just like all those other times.

I got up and went outside to stop her pacing. When I got to her, I stopped in my tracks.

She had tears streaming down her face.

My heart broke for her. She had been hurting far more than she had let on. "Mitsu…what's the matter? And be honest with me this time," I said to her.

She shook her head. "It's okay. Honestly. I'm fine."

I wiped away a tear. "Then why are you crying, Mitsu?"

"I…Why do I care so much?" She whispered. "I don't want to care. I don't like him, Sachi. Not as anything more than a friend. He's not my type." She sank down to her knees, and sat on the deck. "Help me."

I sat down beside her, ignoring the fact that we were in the middle of the deck. "How? Do you want him?"

"No," she said softly. "But I do. It's confusing, you know?"

I chuckled. "More than you know," I told her. I put an arm around her. "Okay, so here's the game plan…"

-XOXO-

"Hey, crappy chef, what's hanging?" I greeted the blonde as I sat in a chair in the galley.

"Sachi," he said with a nod my way. "You never visit. What's the occasion?"

"Well, you see, there's this girl that's hurting real bad and she kind of needs your special cooking as medicine…." I said, waving my hand.

"Mitsu?" He snorted. "No."

"Yeah, please talk to her."

"Why?"

"She's crying, you know that, right?" I ground out. "Nothing _ever_ makes her cry."

Sanji put his knife down. "Sachi…you know I love her, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Sanji. And so does she. But if you love her as much as you say you do, you need to show it now by growing some and getting her. She's hurting way too bad." I told him. "So come on. If you don't do it for her, at least make up with her for _me_."

"She doesn't love me, Sachi. Has that crossed your mind?"

I relaxed in my chair, a half-smile on my face. "Well, how do you know that?"

"She tells me constantly. She doesn't act like it. She flirts with me, but that doesn't mean anything…It's just for show," he said.

"Do you always believe everything you hear? She puts on a face," I told him. "Have you noticed that this week she's pacing a lot? She's dropping her guard. It's because she's nervous. She's upset." I sighed. "Let me tell you a secret, Sanji. She's never gotten this flustered over a guy before. Ever. Period."

"Where's she at, then Sachi?"

"Sh—"

At that precise moment, Luffy burst in the galley, eyes wide with fear, hair wet and a quivering lower lip. "S-sachi…Mitsu…"

"Yes?" I said, jumping out of my seat, knocking it over. I grabbed Luffy's shirt, getting in his face. "Spit it out, Captain!"

"She went overboard…" he whispered.

Both Sanji and I froze. He was the first to move. "Damn it, no!" He flew out of the galley, and I wasn't far behind, throwing Luffy down.

_Mitsu, no_…

Sanji barely had time to kick off his shoes in his haste to get to my sister. I made a mental note to beat her senseless if she got out of this alive.

…If. Such a tiny word. So many meanings for it. I didn't want to imagine it. I kicked off my shoes and dove in behind him. We both reached her before she went under again. Sanji held on to her while Zoro tossed a rope to me. I never looked at his face the entire time, just concentrated on pulling the three of us together.

"Oh, God no…" Sanji whispered almost silently.

I busied myself by tying the rope in tight knots. I didn't want to think about it. Not now. I just prayed that she'd be okay…

Zoro helped pull us aboard, since he was pretty much all the muscle there was on the ship. Sanji took no time in pumping on Mitsu's chest to get the water out of her lungs. "God, Mitsu, please breathe…I'm not mad anymore, just…please breathe," He begged softly, a look of anguish on his face.

"Sanji, she's not…?" I said, the panic descending slowly on me. "She's not breathing?"

"Give her CPR, Sanji!" Nami said, panic in her voice.

He looked at her in agony. "I…I…"

She pushed him out of the way, and began the CPR herself. He stared at her, the most heartbreaking look on his face.

A tear streamed down my face. Zoro sat beside me, pulling me roughly against him. Something in me snapped and I pushed him away, scrambling to my feet and running to Mitsu. "Damn you, Mitsuki Belle! Breathe! _Fucking breathe!_ I'm going to kick your ass!" I screamed at her, tears streaming down my cheeks. I dropped to my knees beside her. "I love you, Mitsu. Please…"

Nami pumped on her chest. "Come on…"

Finally, we heard it. The most beautiful sound in the world. She started to cough up the water. She rolled on her side, vomiting up as much of the water as she could. Sanji grabbed her and held her tightly.

I looked away, the image painful for some reason. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned slowly. Zoro…of course. "What do you want?"

He said nothing, just pulled me to him and held me tightly. "Now cry, damn it."

-XOXO-

Two days later, everything was pretty much back to normal. I had threatened Zoro countless times, we'd scrapped a bit, Sanji and Mitsu were buddy-buddy again, Luffy and Nami were still together…everything seemed normal. We kept a careful eye on Mitsu, which was expected, but said entertainer showed no signs of ever have been suicidal in the first place.

It was awkward being around Zoro now, since I'd cried like a little kid on his shoulder, so I'd threatened him if he tried to tell anyone. I doubted he would, but there was still that slight possibility, so I had to be careful. It was also strange because he seemed like he was trying to put forth the effort to be nice to me. It was more aggravating than endearing, to be honest. Mitsu thought it was sweet, of course, and told me so. And, as usual, she had a big goofy smile on her face as she did. I got irritated with her, but had to laugh with her. I can't stay mad at Mitsu.

"Hey, Mitsu?" I asked, as she walked into my room one day.

"Eh?" She flopped down on my bed, putting her head in my lap. She closed her eyes. "Sachi, I'm sleepy."

"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?" I asked.

"I…I didn't want you to know. I mean…I know how to swim but I forgot." She kept her eyes closed.

"You're lying to me, Mitsu."

She opened one eye to peek at me. "Am not."

"Yes, you are. You don't forget those kinds of things. Well, most of the time, anyways," I said. "So what's up? Were you trying to off yourself or what?"

"No, I… I don't know. I wasn't _trying_ to kill myself. I just…jumped. Just to do it, for no reason at all," she said. "I just didn't want to swim. My body was heavy, you know? I didn't really care anymore…"

I stroked her hair in silence. It bothered me more than I was letting on. I didn't know what I'd do if I ever lost her…

Sanji burst in the door. "Mitsu, there you are! Come here," he exclaimed happily, grabbing her hand after she sat up and yanking her into his arms. He kissed her forehead and dashed out of the room, dragging her along behind him. I wondered what the fuss was about, so I followed them out-just in time to run into Zoro. He threw an arm around my shoulder.

"Hey," he said. "Come on. Luffy's waiting on you."

"Why?" I threw his arm off.

"Eveybody else is out there," he told me with a grin sideways at me. "We were just waiting on you."

"You're acting weird," I said, frowning in confusion.

He put his arm back around me, pulling me close. "You look so fuckin' delicious, Sachi…" He whispered in my ear.

I whacked him with the wrench in my back pocket. "Get away, pervert."

"Dammit, that hurt," he snapped.

"Was supposed to," I said curtly as we walked onto the deck full of people.

Nami was sitting on Luffy's lap, Chopper and Usopp were sparring with Mitsu, and Sanji was laughing at the three of them. I couldn't help but crack a smile when Mitsu pushed Chopper down. Usopp grinned widely and, instead of pushing her down above the waist, picked her up and flipped her over his shoulder. "Get her, Sanji!"

Sanji grinned and smacked her on the backside. "That's for causing me so much trouble, love."

"You contradict yourself, crap-cook," Zoro said with a grin. "Smacking her like that…"

"So do you, grass-head," Sanji said good-naturedly. "I thought you said you hated her." He looked pointedly at me.

"Yeah, you're right. She's bewitched me now," the swordsman said dramatically. "I'm falling for her charms."

"Or that cute little butt!" Mistu laughed, finally giving Usopp a good kick in the stomach. He grunted, letting her down. He started to wheeze, giving everyone else a pretty good laugh.

"Yeah, that is a plus," Zoro agreed, bravely pinching my ass. I slapped him and brought down the wrench on his head, giving him another goose egg to match the one he already had. They looked like little horns now, I thought with a snicker.

"You, sir, are a pig," I said, watching him hold his head in pain.

"Can't you put those damn wrenches away, woman? You hit like a man," he growled.

"Thanks a lot," I said dryly. "That means tons to me." I gave him a pointed look.

"Well, if you didn't hit so damn hard…" he trailed off, huffing before grinning wickedly and grabbed me. "That's a real turn on…I love a woman that can take care of herself."

"Do you want another lump on that stupid noggin?" I threatened, grabbing the wrench.

"For one kiss, I don't think it matters," I heard Mitsu whisper loudly to Sanji. I had the funny feeling she meant for me to hear it. "Do it, Zoro!"

"You want me dead, don't you?" He laughed, not letting me go. "Ah, hell, it'll happen sooner or later, won't it?"

At that, he kissed me. In front of _everyone_. I was going to kill him.

-**Mitsu's Pov**-

I have never seen such a look of surprise on my sister's face as I did right then. I think it really shocked all of us when he actually kissed her. She looked absolutely furious…I regretted egging on the handsome swordsman.

He lifted her into his arms, avoiding her swinging arms and kicking legs, grinning widely. "Well, I guess I'm the lucky man that gets to tame her."

I burst into laughter. "Good luck with that."

"Mitsuki, I'm going to kill you!" Sachi screamed at me.

"You'll thank me later, sister dear," I said, blowing a kiss to her as Zoro began walking off. She flipped me off, making me laugh.

"So, Luffy, what was it you wanted?" Sanji asked. "We'll fill them in on it later…"

"What are they going to do?" Luffy asked innocently, rubbing Nami's back absently.

"Nothing," I said quickly, then made the mistake of looking at Sanji. I laughed at the disgusted look on his face.

Nothing on this planet could tame my sister-and believe me, many had tried. I felt kind of bad for Zoro, but figured he'd get what was coming to him. Chances are, she'd stay mad at him and everything would go back to normal. Maybe. I honestly didn't care too much.

"So, what was it?" I demanded.

"We're docking pretty soon at Port Blue. It should only take a couple hours to get there if my navigating is right," Nami said, crossing her long legs. "And if I'm wrong…well..it might be a couple days." She turned to her gaze to Sanji. "Sanji, how much food do we have left?"

"We have enough for nearly 6 days if we stretch. So that means no raiding the kitchen in the middle of the night looking for food, Luffy."

The captain looked disappointed. "Okay…"

"You'll be alright for however long it takes to get to land," I said, rolling my eyes.

"But I'll starve!" He cried dramatically, causing Nami to wince and cover her ears. He didn't seem to notice. "I won't make it…!"

"You're being too dramatic," I said with a laugh.

-XOXO-

"Land ho!" Luffy yelled excitedly when the beautiful little Port Blue came into sight. "We're here! Yay!"

"Yup, yup," I said with a grin. "Want me to go find Sachi and Zoro?""

"Mmm…" Luffy said, like he was thinking hard. "Yeah, go do that."

I walked toward Zoro's room, a little afraid of what I may walk in on. I knocked on the door, and receiving no answer, let myself in. They were both asleep-fully clothed, just to let you know-and holding onto the other tightly. I could swear I saw a faint smile on each of their faces, and wished that I had a camera. I wanted to capture this moment on film… I shut the door back, not having the heart to wake them.

"They looked like kids, didn't they…" Sanji mused from behind me.

"Sanji! You scared me," I said, turning to face him. I moved past him to walk with him back to the deck.

He stopped me. "Mitsu, honey…hold on a minute."

I looked up at him in confusion. "What do you need?"

"I…I love you."

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Annnd...that's the end of that. Chapter 5 coming *hopefully* soon. Reviews=Love. You guys keep me goin'.


	5. The Secret of Port Blue

So, here's chapter 5 :) Yay! I'm sorry it's late, but like I said before, I'm a procrastinator... And I get happy when I type something from paper and change EVERYTHING. Which is pretty much what I did to this. So yeah. I'm exhausted (it's like 4:30 AM here, but I made myself finish this before bed tonight/today, whatever the hell it is), and I hope it sounds okay. :) OH! THANK YOU TO ALL THE LOVELY REVIEWERS AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THIS ON STORY ALERT EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T REVIEW. I love you, and I hope you don't hate me for this late chapter. The next one will be up...soon. I know I said that last time, but I don't work as much now so I have FREE TIME :D. Enjoy. :)

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"It's so good to finally be back on land," I said, happily stretching. Sanji put his arm around my waist, and I slapped it away playfully. "Get on somewhere, you."

"Mitsu, love, if we're dating, you need to show me a little affection," he teased.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "We're dating? This is news to me."

"No?" He frowned sadly.

"Stop it, Mitsu," Sachi said with a laugh. "You're hurting his feelings. Just date the man." Her laughter was cut short when Zoro grabbed her from behind. Her hand flew back in surprise, connecting solidly with his unprotected crotch and he seemed to deflate slowly.

"Damn it, Sachi," He groaned from his position on the ground, holding himself. "Watch when you swing your arm back!"

Sachi and I were breathless with laughter, holding onto each other in order to keep standing. "D-don't grab me, stupid grass-head bastard…" She choked out.

"Come on, Zoro. Be a man. Get up," Sanji said, not bothering to hide the wide grin on his face.

"I'll drop you, shitty cook! Get your happy ass over here," Zoro threatened, still on the ground.

Sanji laughed, taking my hand and leading me off. "Let's let Sachi take care of him, shall we?"

"Nope, he's on his own," she said, following us. We could hear Zoro's expletives for about 6 yards, then we heard the sounds of Port Blue. I felt like a child at a carnival, hopping around like a moron. Sachi laughed. "Where to, sis?"

"I'm going to find some food stands. I need to stock our pantry with a couple things," Sanji said.

"Weapon store," I said. "I need one. I'm not using a stick to fight anymore. It's getting old and may break…"

"Yeah, or a tool shop. My wrench needs to be repaired… It's getting all smudged and dinged from Zoro's fat head," she mused. "Or I'll get a new, bigger one. That may be better."

I laughed. "Sure." I waved at Sanji when he left, agreeing to meet him back at the same place. He stole a kiss beforehand, grinning widely when Sachi groaned. One Sanji got out of earshot, we began walking and I turned to her. "Believe me, I don't think I want that any more than you do."

"Liar," she shot back.

"I am not, and I'm appalled that you'd think such a thing," I said with a giggle. "I mean, he's my best buddy, but I don't feel the same romantically as he does. I'll know when I've found the right one, and I don't really think he's the one. I just don't want to break his heart, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, that's a load'a shit'n you know it," Sachi said back. "You're just in denial…" She had a devious look in her eye and gave me a strange look. "And besides, you'd better keep him happy, sister…"

"Why's that?" I hated the quiver in my voice. Sachi was scary when she was like this…

"You know that little piece of heaven on a plate? That little cake he made me? Yeah, he better keep making that. Or I'm gonna go after somebody," she said.

I snorted. "You go be his girlfriend then," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hell no," she said. "I just want him happy, so I get that cake."

"I have never seen you more obsessed with anything in my life…" I muttered under my breath. "I'm not dating him just because you want cake. Get over it."

"You suck."

"Bite me," I said back, sticking my tongue out at her. As I looked around, I noticed quite a flashy sign for the seemingly quiet little town. "Hey…I'm gonna go check this out. You can go to the place by yourself right?"

She laughed, looking at me. "Yes, mom," she said sarcastically. "I can go all by myself. I am a big girl now, you know."

"Shut up, you, and go," I laughed as I walked to the door. It was dark inside, so I was surprised that the door even opened. "Ha, thought it was closed," I whispered to myself.

As I made my way into the store, behind a dark curtain I noticed candles flickering and the silhouette of a woman seated at a table. The place smelled nice, like she had incense burning, and it relaxed me enough to feel comfortable here. I continued to look around, at little knickknacks for tourists to buy when they left here. I picked up a necklace, with a silver dragon wrapped around a crystal ball, turning toward the light. I nearly dropped it when the woman started to speak to me, coming from behind the curtain. "Welcome, child."

"O-oh…Hi," I said, putting the necklace down, a little bit embarrassed from being caught. I bit my lip. "I'm sorry if I was intruding."

"Oh, no, dear. I rarely have visitors…" I could see a little of her face now, as she got closer to me. Something was off about her skin…but I couldn't put my finger on it, not yet. I passed it off as something with the lighting, since that's the only thing that made any sense to me. It had to be lighting… "Your name…It starts with an M? Mitsuki, perhaps?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," I answered. "But how could you know that?" I shrunk back a little from the hand that reached toward me, feeling a little bit lightheaded and groggy from the incense. It seemed to have grown stronger, somehow.

"Don't be afraid, darling," she cooed to me. "Didn't you read the sign when you came in?"

I froze, embarrassed that I actually hadn't. All I'd seen was flashy lights and I'd wanted to check it out… "Actually…no, I didn't…"

"My name is Madam Aerie, psychic and clairvoyant. I do palm readings on occasion, and help with various things, such as finding loved ones and who people are going to fall in love with," she said, smiling at me. There was something wrong with her eyes, I noticed. The smile didn't quite reach them like it should have, as warm as it seemed to be. "Now, Mitsuki…Do you have any questions I may be able to answer?"

"No, I don't think I do," I said, shaking my head.

"Come, child, I'm not going to bite," she said, taking my hand in hers and leading me behind the curtain. The lighting was brighter here, courtesy of the candles , and I was able to get a better look at her. It took all I had to keep from gasping. Her features…She looked like she had been carved from wood. She merely chuckled, waving a hand. Her sleeve slipped down toward her elbow and I clearly saw a hinge holding her hand to her arm. At that I did jump a bit, but tried not to be rude. "Don't be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you." She pulled her sleeve down, looking at me. "Are you wondering why my hand is attached with a hinge?"

"Yes," I whispered, my heart beginning to beat harder. The longer I sat here, the more terrified I got, and I didn't like it at all. "It's not normal where I come from."

She merely chuckled. "You travel with a rubber man, yet you're afraid of my arm?" Her eyes darkened a little as she grinned at me.

My eyes widened. "I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I was being rude, and I apologize."

"I was merely teasing," she said. "But yes, to your unasked question," She paused a second to touch my hand with her cold, smooth one. "I am made of wood. I wasn't always this way, but I've become accustomed to this body, and I'm fine with it." She shook her head. "But it isn't about me tonight."

"Madam, is there something you see in me that you feel like you need to speak to me?" I asked. "I'm not trying to be rude, I promise."

"Yes," she said. "I see great potential in you, a clear successful future. There's something holding you back from that future, something that will have to disappear in order to reach your particular goal."

"Do I know of this goal?"

"No. Not yet," She said. "You may never know of this goal, if the obstacle in your way doesn't disappear." She turned to me. "You are a brave girl. Stubborn…even a stupid girl, Mitsuki, for having so much pride. You're too proud to admit the feelings you carry for _him_, the one that loves you so much." Her painted eyes bored into mine as a terrifying sneer crawled onto her face and she squeezed the arm she'd been touching. I winced. "He loves you, you know. And you love him. You're going to lose him, and soon."

"Stop it," I said, yanking my wrist away. "I don't, and I can't lose someone who's not even mine. "

"You don't believe me, do you? Well, if you don't want love, that's fine," she said, standing and walking to me. She took my chin in one of her stiff hands and jerked my face up. "But it's a pity that pretty little face will go to waste."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, struggling to get away from her. Damn it, she was strong…

"Actually…" she smirked. "It may not have to go to waste..." She leaned down into my face, staring into my eyes. "I think I'll just take it from you."

"What?"

"You stupid girl. Some of us want love. Some of us want to find the one that will make us whole, while you're running from him! If you will not accept his love, I will. Being you, I will finally get the family I've always wanted, the love I've craved for so many years." She laughed. "And impersonating you will be a piece of cake. You see, I can see everything about you. It won't be hard to fool everyone."

She threw me into the floor, sitting on my stomach, clutching my throat. "It's too bad you won't be able to say your goodbyes, dearest Mitsuki. Don't fret, my darling, I'll give them your best." Her fingers tightened around my throat, cutting off my air. I choked, clawing at her hands. I knew it was pointless…but I had to try. I had to get away from her.

In my last moments, I saw a dark shadow behind the psychotic bitch, but not having enough strength to last, blacked out.

XOXO

"Ugh, I don't think I like Port Blue anymore," I whined nursing a sore and bruised throat later on that day, noticing that I was back in my room on the ship. There was a form under the blankets beside me on the bed, and I poked it, under the impression it was Sachi. It wasn't.

A masculine groan emitted from under the blanket, making me scramble off the bed and into the corner of the room. "What the hell?"

"Mitsu…it's me." Oh. Just Sanji.

I crept back to the bed, lifting the blankets and peeking underneath them. Sure enough, the cook was curled up beside where I had just been laying, looking half asleep and cute as hell. I couldn't help but smile at him and climb back into the bed. "Hey, did you save me?"

"Who else could have but me?" he asked, slipping an arm around my waist and pulling me back against him. He nuzzled my ear. "Now shut up and let that throat rest, okay, beautiful?"

I shook my head. "How'd you know where I was?" God, my throat hurt. It hadn't been as bad when I first woke up but now it was on fire.

"Call it instinct. A man always knows when something's wrong with his lady," he said with a low chuckle.

"Heh," I replied, glad he couldn't see my face. His lady, huh… "What happened to Madam Aerie?"

"Didn't I just tell you not to talk?"

"Where is she?" I insisted.

"I took care of her, love, don't worry," he said, resting his chin on my shoulder and squeezing me close. "Now hush and go to sleep. It's rare I get to nap with you."

"I don't wanna sleep, I want to ask you questions," I argued, frowning.

"You're tearing up your throat the more that you talk," he said, pushing me on my back so I could roll over and look at him. "So stop it."

"No," I said. "Where's everyb—"

I was cut off by his mouth on mine. He pulled back and smiled at me, brushing my bangs out of my face. "I told you I wanted you to stop talking."

"But, I—"

He kissed me again, causing me to frown. At that he laughed and kissed me a third time, pulling me closer and kissing me deeper than before. He ran his long fingers through my hair, his other hand resting in the small of my back. I kissed back, trying to get as close to his warmth as I possibly could. I didn't realize what I was doing until I reached up and buried my fingers in his hair, which made him chuckle. "Now now, love…" He laughed again, pushing my head under his chin and my face to his chest. "Go to sleep. Let me hold you, if only for a minute."

"I need to find Sachi," I murmured, not really wanting to move away. He was so warm…always so inviting.

"I'm sure she's with the swordsman, so you don't have to worry about her," He said.

"I need to get up, Sanji, what if someone finds us?" I said. "What would they think?"

"To hell with what other people think," he said softly, pulling away from me. He touched my face as I looked at him. "Let me have this, Mitsu. I love laying with you, and looking into those beautiful eyes. I love seeing your face light up with that infectious smile you have." He kissed me softly, pulling away quickly. "I love feeling your body against mine." He pulled me close again, my chest slamming against his. "I love everything about you."

I felt myself blush, my heart pounding a hundred miles a minute. "Sanji…I…."

"Damn it, don't say you don't love me," he said, a pain in his eyes I'd never seen there before. "Please…" He buried his face in my hair, hugging me tight again. "Don't reject me now. Don't tell me you don't love me. I can't take it, not after almost losing you for the second time… Lie to me if you have to, but don't…" He trailed off, not sounding like himself at all. I didn't like it a bit, and it broke my heart to hear the quiver in his voice. No one wants to hear their best friend at their breaking point, and it was even harder for me because I was the one responsible.

"Sweetheart, I can't tell you I love you," I said in a whisper.

"I'm crazy about you," he whispered in anguish. "Can't you see that?" He rolled on top of me, bracing himself on his elbows as he looked down on me.

I stroked his face gently. It killed me to see this sweet, wonderful man in so much pain… "I…I…" I couldn't think of anything to say. "Sanji…I can't tell you how I feel if I don't even know myself. You make me crazy. You flirt with me, tell me you love me, tease me, frustrate me…I'm confused, you know? I can't figure out what I feel now."

His mouth came down hard on mine in response, pinning me down. He showed his pain, love, frustrations— all the pent-up emotions he had went into that kiss. It made it impossible for me to think, to come up with reasons I shouldn't be here, shouldn't be kissing this man like I was. I stopped thinking and arguing with myself, and let this feeling, whatever it was, envelop me completely. I let him make love to my mouth, and I let myself enjoy it. Soon, I couldn't remember why I didn't want him, and why I was resisting him so hard…

Finally he rolled off me, pulling me tightly so I could rest my head on his chest again. I let him this time. He stroked my hair, and I closed my eyes, forgetting all about looking for Sachi.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I know, baby, I know," I whispered back. It wasn't long until we both fell asleep in each other's arms, allowing just an afternoon of this.

XOXO

I didn't know exactly what time the rest of the crew came to the ship, but I woke as soon as they arrived. They weren't the most subtle people in the world, so it didn't take much to wake me up.

"Hey, Mitsu, you here?" I heard Sachi yell a moment later. Well, if I hadn't already been awake, she would have definitely gotten me up then… "I got somethin' for you, get your lazy ass out here!"

I rolled my eyes, walking out on deck. "I'm here," I said. My voice was slightly raspy…I hoped she didn't notice.

"What's wrong with your throat? You and Sanji have some kind of kinky sex while we were gone?" She asked, looking carefully at me, then smirked. "Told you that you wanted him."

I rolled my eyes at her, feeling my face heat up. "No, there was no kinky sex, Sachi," I said. "I um…I got choked."

"Autoerotic asphyxiation?" She asked. "Weird. You've never done that before. But you did just jump off the boat so anything goes now, huh? You get off by trying to kill yourself or something, sister?"

I felt my face get even redder. "Nooooo," I said, trying to ignore the sounds of Zoro's howling laughter. "Remember the store I went into? The lady was a psychic and tried to steal my body…so she tried to kill me."

She smacked me in the back of the head. "What the hell? Do I have to babysit you?"

"No!" I said back, rubbing the back of my head. "People just hate me!"

"Tch," she snorted, thrusting a big black box at me. "Here, this is your present. Don't make me regret giving it to you."

"Okay, mom," I said smartly, opening the top to see a beautiful silver-handled whip. I gasped and jumped on her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it!"

She laughed. "I figured you would, and you're welcome."

"Did you have fun shopping?"

I was answered by a snort and a glare. "Hell no. You have any idea how hard it was to find that damn thing? Like finding a needle in a haystack. I'm glad to be back on the ship."

"Yeah, me too," Zoro said. "This town is really strange."

"Mm-hmm," I agreed.

"Aw, darn," Nami said, frowning. "I need to go back out. I forgot to get extra supplies for my maps…" She looked at us. "Do you guys want to join me?"

"I do," Luffy said, smiling. "I wanna go get a biiiig steak!" He laughed as he took her hand. "C'mon, Nami, don't you want to get a steak too?"

"I just want to get drawing supplies," she muttered, shooting him a dirty look.

"We can all go back if Mitsu promises not to wander by shiny, flashy signs," Sachi said, shooting me a dirty look this time. I held my hands up as Sanji walked out of my room. We filled him in quickly, and he nodded.

"I could probably pick up a few extra things I didn't get when I was here earlier," He said.

"STEAK!" Luffy shouted, looking like he was preparing for a race.

"There's no meat here," Sanji said, shaking his head. "I've already looked."

Luffy's face fell so hard you could practically hear it shatter on the ground. "What? No meat?"

"No meat, little buddy," Sanji confirmed, shaking his head.

"Awww," the captain groaned. He didn't look so excited to go now.

Nami tugged on his hand, with a little "C'mon, we'll find something" to make him feel better. It seemed to cheer him up so he began walking with her. No sooner had the two of them stepped foot off the ship, did Luffy come flying back and left a huge dent in the side of the railing. He grunted, but managed to loop his arm around it and swing onboard before falling into the water. He took off, toward the source of the problem, with the rest of us following close behind. Where was Nami…

I gasped when I saw the man holding Nami. He was like Madam Aerie, a wooden body but an all-too-human look to him. He was laughing now, holding her closely, somehow managing to dodge each one of Luffy's punches. We looked on in disbelief, trying to figure out what to do, how to help our captain.

"You're trying so hard, Straw Hat…But I'm growing bored of you, so I shall take my leave. Good day," he said pleasantly before throwing down what looked like marbles. They exploded on impact and left a huge cloud of dust where he stood. When the dust cleared, he was no longer there and neither was Nami. Zoro was the first to start running in the direction he thought the wooden guy went. The rest of us followed, but to no avail. The man was nowhere to be seen, and it was getting dark. Zoro let out a string of curses before kicking the dirt and looking up.

Luffy fell to his knees, face buried in his hands. He let out an animalistic cry, slamming his fists to the ground, tears of frustration streaming down his face. "Nami, I will find you, I swear!"

* * *

Annnd...cliffhanger. You're ready to kill me aren't you? Well, leave me some nice reviews and I'll make it a point to have the next one up before 2 months have passed. :D Hell, it may even be next week! :3 hehe. 3


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